After getting 20.6 percent of the vote in 2025, 'The King' is on the ballot for the second time, seeking to become the fourth member of the Seattle Mariners to make the Hall of Fame.
Seattle Mariners legend Felix Hernandez is on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the second time this year after receiving 20.6 percent of the vote his first time around.
Hernandez will have up to 10 chances to make the Hall of Fame, with 75 percent being needed to earn induction into the Hall of Fame.
If he someday gets in, he'll be the fourth member of the Mariners to make it to Cooperstown, joining Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez and Ichiro Suzuki.
The 2026 class will be announced on Jan. 20.
The case for
Simply put, Hernandez was one of the best pitchers of his era, and he was one of the last of a dying breed of innings-eaters.
'The King' threw 190 innings or more each year from 2006-15, earning six total All-Star Game appearances. He led baseball in wins (19) in 2009 and then led in ERA (2.27) in 2010. He also led the American League in ERA (2.14) in 2014 and made 30 starts or more 10 times in his career. He also had six seasons of 200 strikeouts or more. He won the Cy Young in 2010 and had four top-five finishes for the award, and oh yeah, he threw a perfect game in 2012.
The case against
Baseball traditionalists will point to the lack of true counting stats as a ding against Hernandez, but given the nature of pitching now, the prime's of players are shorter, and Hernandez was dominant in his prime.
He "only" had 169 career wins, partially a product of his playing on some subpar Mariners teams, and he had five seasons of double-digit losses, which could weigh against him.
What the experts are saying
ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney spoke on the 'Refuse to Lose' podcast on Thursday to talk about Hernandez's chances and his ability to take a substantial jump in voting this year.
I think he does, first and foremost. I think eventually he's going to make a speech in Cooperstown, he's going to be inducted in the Hall of Fame. I don't know when that's going to be, but this year, relative to other years, like last year when you had Ichiro, it's a thinner class. Like, you're not looking at it, saying, 'yeah, there are these six guys who are definitely Hall of Famers.' So if you're one of those guys who's kind of in the middle, it's a year for growth. And I don't think Felix will get in this year, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him jump in the 35% range, 40% range, and continue his march toward making that speech in Cooperstown.
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